Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup
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This warming, satisfying lentil and vegetable soup comes together in just 30 minutes.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
For a vegetarian recipe made almost entirely from pantry staples (and I mean true staples, not staples from some well-stocked dream kitchen), this vegetable soup is surprisingly delicious. It’s thickened by puréeing a portion of the soup and then stirring it back into the pot (a technique I also use in other veggie and bean soups like pasta e fagioli and mulligatawny). This method gives the soup a wonderfully rich and hearty texture without relying on heavy cream or flour. The soup takes just 30 minutes to come together, start to finish, yet tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen, and it’s good for you, too. For the cooked vegetables, feel free to use any quick-cooking, frozen, or leftover vegetables you have on hand. The recipe is extremely flexible and very hearty!
Table of Contents
“Super simple and delicicious. It’s a keeper.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chickpea, Lentil and Vegetable Soup
- Olive Oil: Used to sauté the onions, garlic, carrots, and spices, adding richness and helping to develop a deep flavor base for the soup.
- Onion and Garlic: Provide a savory foundation and depth, essential for building the soup’s overall flavor.
- Carrot: Adds a subtle sweetness and contributes to the hearty texture of the soup.
- Paprika and Cumin: Infuse the soup with smoky and earthy flavors, enhancing the overall warmth and complexity.
- Vegetable or Chicken Broth: Acts as the soup’s liquid base, balancing flavors and providing a rich, savory undertone. Opt for low-sodium broth here.
- Diced Tomatoes: Contribute acidity and a subtle sweetness, adding depth to the broth.
- Red Lentils: Thicken the soup and add protein, creating a hearty texture. It’s important to stick with red lentils here due to their quick cooking time. Use 1/3 cup as specified in the recipe, as using more can make the soup too thick.
- Dried Thyme: Adds an aromatic, earthy note that complements the soup’s savory elements.
- Bay Leaves: Infuse the soup with a mild herbal flavor, enhancing its overall complexity.
- Chickpeas: Add texture, protein, and a nutty flavor, making the soup more substantial.
- Cooked Vegetables: Provide additional texture and nutrients, rounding out the soup with a variety of flavors and colors. I like to use frozen peas and green beans but you can use any quick cooking, frozen, or leftover vegetables you have on hand. The recipe is very flexible!
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by cooking the onions in olive oil until soft. Add the carrots, garlic, smoked paprika and cumin and cook until fragrant, a few minutes.
Add the broth, tomatoes, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas and continue cooking 10 minutes more.
Remove a few cups of the soup and place in a blender or food processor.
Purée until smooth.
Pour the puréed soup back into the pot. Stir and taste; if you want the soup to be thicker, purée a bit more. Add the vegetables.
Bring the soup back to a simmer and serve.
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Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 14.5-ounce (411-g) can diced tomatoes
- ⅓ cup red lentils
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 15.5-ounce (439-g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked vegetables, such as frozen peas or chopped green beans
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, smoked paprika and cumin; cook, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn't brown, about 2 minutes more.
- Add the broth, diced tomatoes, red lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer; cook for ten minutes. Add the chickpeas, cover the pot and cook 10 minutes more. Fish out the bay leaves, then transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender and purée until smooth (be sure to remove the center knob on the blender and cover with a dishtowel to avoid splatters). Add the puréed soup back to the pot and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary; if you want the soup to be thicker, purée a bit more soup. Add the cooked vegetables and simmer until the soup is hot and the vegetables are warmed through. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Comments
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I only have regular (organic) paprika, can I use? Or will it take away from the taste of the soup?
Hi Eve, I recommend sticking with smoked paprika — it adds a lot of flavor to this soup. Sorry!
What a wonderful soup! So easy and the flavours are so interesting. I used my immersion blender to blend it to a chunky consistency, then added frozen green peas and chopped fresh spinach. Liked by vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
This soup is so delicious and easy, I’ve made it twice in the past month! I used an immersion blender to partially puree it instead of transferring it to a blender or food processor, and since I’m always looking for ways to pack more veggies into my meals, I used much more than 1 cup (probably closer to 4-5 cups – a mix of chopped spinach, green beans, and peas), and it was delicious and chunky. This is a perfect meal on a cold day – and it freezes really well!
Hi, Jenn,
This soup sounds delicious. I want to try it this weekend. Do I need to remove skin off the chickpeas? Thanks
Irina
Hi Irina, No need to remove the skin. Hope you enjoy!
Jenn to the rescue again. Although not a huge fan of “smoked” flavors, it is not overpowering in this recipe whatsoever. I love the fact that the soup is very low fat, and can be made in under an hour. I doubled the recipe, so it took a bit longer than the stated cook time, which I fully expected with 8 cups of broth to bring to a simmer. I used frozen, chopped green beans and will try with peas next time. I sliced some Gruyere cheese and put out crackers. Along with this delicious soup, it was a great Sunday dinner!
Can this be cooked in a slow cooker and if so what adjustments should I make? Thank you
HI Holli, I don’t have a lot of wisdom to share because I don’t have experience with a slow cooker, but these tips may help you convert the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Have some sliced onions…if I chop them, how much should i use?
Hi Carol, About a cup should do it. Enjoy! 🙂
Thanks Jenn, made as written…used green beans a few peas and a handful of frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry. Looked beautiful and tasted great. As far as I am concerned, you are the queen of soups. Each one is so darned good. Not that it needs any thing else, but what would you think of adding some sautéed sausage? If so, what kind? Opened a malbec wine, had some good breadsticks. a nice salad and my friend was very impressed. As always, another winner!
Glad you enjoyed this! I think adding some sauteed sausage would be delicious – you could use a spicy pork sausage, sweet turkey sausage, or even chorizo.
I sometimes serve the with homemade lamb sausage “meatballs” — so good!
I made this last year when the weather turned cold and I remembered loving it, so it the first soup that came to mind this year when the temperature started to drop. My husband HATES green beans so I used broccoli instead, which is maybe not the best substitution, but he was happy. I’m not sure what else to substitute for green beans, but I’ll keep trying different things to see what else I can come up with. As always, the soup turned out great and hit the spot. Thanks for sharing another winning recipe.
This is a staple in our freezer! What kind of pot are you using? It’s beautiful!
Hi Taylor, It’s a Cuisinart Dutch oven – I got it at Home Goods. 🙂
Amazing flavor, a family favorite!